Dear [Your Elected Official],

<p>I urge you to vote NO on HB884 on Wednesday in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee. </p> <p>Drag performance is an artform with a long history. It is not inherently “adult-oriented entertainment.” It is a protected form expression under the First Amendment and state governments should not attempt to restrict the guarantees of the Bill of Rights. The Sixth Circuit and the Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of Tennessee’s existing adult entertainment law from 2023. The courts said that the plaintiffs did not have standing. A federal judge has, however, blocked Florida’s drag law from going into effect for now. Another case in East Tennessee is ongoing.</p> <p>Increasing the number of venues that are classified as adult-oriented establishments creates burdens of restrictive regulation for more venues/businesses and it creates more burdens for city and county government with respect to enforcement. Mistakes at the local level will compromise the entire bill.</p> <p>This proposal is a risky, burdensome, and unnecessary intrusion into First Amendment rights.</p> <p>Thank you for considering my views.</p>